The present invention relates to a radio (broadcast) receiver.
These are car radios, designed as radio receivers, are already known which can be combined with a navigation computer. This is the case, for example, with the Blaupunkt car radio xe2x80x9cBerlin RCM303-Axe2x80x9d. In that case, the navigation computer includes a CD-ROM disk drive. By inserting a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM disk drive, maps in the form of navigation data can thus be loaded from the CD-ROM into the navigation computer.
European Patent 0 453 108 describes a disk player for an audio disk and a memory disk which can be installed as a navigation system in a vehicle. The navigation system includes a so-called CD-ROM, upon which map data are stored. This system reads map data of the desired map from the CD-ROM and supplies the data as a display information signal to a display device. This results in a display of the map on the display device, so that a user is able to determine the present position of the vehicle. Since the CD-ROM as a medium for storing map data has the same signal format as a compact disk, both an audio disk and a CD-ROM can be played by the disk player.
In contrast, the radio receiver of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that, by installing a hard disk, data can be stored in a non-volatile manner on storage locations of the hard disk. Thus, it is believed that it is not necessary to supply such data to the radio receiver with the aid of external storage media such as storage disks constructed as CD-ROM""s, thus considerably increasing the ease of control for the user. In addition, traffic safety may be increased, since the user is not distracted from traffic by inserting an external storage medium into the radio receiver. Furthermore, no input compartment for an external storage medium is necessary on the operating front of the radio receiver, so that space is saved on this operating front and functional clarity for the user is increased. Another advantage is that such a hard disk represents an inexpensive non-volatile mass storage with write and erase capability for any present and even future applications and supplementary services with corresponding storage requirement.
A further advantage is that a drive for a disk-shaped optical recording medium is provided, and that storage locations on the hard disk can be overwritten with data from a storage disk inserted into the drive. Thus, data stored on the hard disk can be updated in a particularly simple manner with the aid of data saved on a storage disk inserted into the drive. In addition, the drive can also be used for accommodating audio or video disks provided for playback, thus increasing the functionality of the drive. Naturally, this assumes appropriate data-processing and playback devices in the radio receiver.
It is also advantageous that, because of the hard disk disposed in the radio receiver, it is not necessary to reload data during the operation of the radio receiver or when playing an audio or video disk in the drive, since a storage disk does not have to be inserted into the drive for this purpose. The insertion of a storage disk is used here only for updating the data stored on the hard disk, so that an access of the radio receiver to data of the storage disk is otherwise not necessary for special applications and supplementary services. Thus, given the construction of the radio receiver as a car radio, it is also not necessary to remove an audio or video disk from the drive in order to insert into the drive a storage disk as a database for special applications or supplementary services except for updating the database on the hard disk, so that the driver is also not distracted from traffic. Likewise, it is not necessary to provide a second drive for the storage disk on the radio receiver, thus saving space and increasing the functional clarity of the radio-receiver operating panel.
These are a number of measures by which storage locations on the hard disk can be overwritten or updated. In this context, data received via radio broadcasting, via an infrared interface, via a wire-conducted interface, via a card interface having a card reader and an input compartment for an access-authorization card, via a microwave receiver and/or a mobile telephone interface for a mobile telephone connected to or integrated into the radio receiver, can be stored on the hard disk. This permits automatic, continuous optimization and updating of the database stored on the hard disk which requires no operator control on the part of the user and represents considerably increased ease of control for the user.
A further advantage is that a navigation device is provided, and that navigation data can be stored on storage locations of the hard disk. Thus, it is not necessary to reload navigation data from a storage disk, which makes it possible to dispense with a separate drive for such a storage disk, or in the case of co-application of a drive for audio or video disks, it is not necessary to interrupt the playing of an inserted audio or video disk in order to reload navigation data from a storage disk.
Another advantage is that additional information data, particularly weather data, schedule data and telephone-directory data, can be stored on storage locations of the hard disk. In this manner, the hard disk can be used for storing different types of data for various applications and supplementary services, so that the functionality of the hard disk is increased.